The CERT Division

The CERT Division is a leader in cybersecurity. We partner with government, industry, law enforcement, and academia to improve the security and resilience of computer systems and networks. We study problems that have widespread cybersecurity implications and develop advanced methods and tools to counter large-scale, sophisticated cyber threats.

What We Do

CERT experts are a diverse group of researchers, software engineers, security analysts, and digital intelligence specialists working together to research security vulnerabilities in software products, contribute to long-term changes in networked systems, and develop cutting-edge information and training to improve the practice of cybersecurity.

Our connection to the internationally known Carnegie Mellon University creates multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities and amplifies our research abilities.

History

The CERT Division is the birthplace of cybersecurity. For nearly 30 years, the CERT Division of the SEI has partnered with government, industry, law enforcement, and academia to advance cybersecurity and improve the security and resilience of computer systems and networks.

Barbara Fraser and Ed DeHart, part of the SEI’s CERT/CC in the early 1990s

Former Director Richard Pethia

Richard Pethia was founding director of the SEI's CERT Division. Pethia, who served as director of CERT from 1988 to 2016, guided the organization through tremendous growth and change. Under Pethia's leadership, the unit expanded and evolved from the CERT Coordination Center—a small group focused on computer incident response—to a research organization of more than 200 professionals dedicated to solving problems with widespread cybersecurity implications.